At the time of this writing, we’re still unsure of how Arrow‘s eighth and final season will play out. Based on what Stephen Amell has hinted at though, it’ll largely serve as a prelude of sorts to the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” crossover event. Suffice it to say, his words corroborated the synopsis released during The CW’s fall upfronts that teased a science fiction twist to the normally grounded series.
Well, thanks to the latest bit of news, it sure does seem like we can pretty much confirm the flash forward element will remain intact. Originally introduced during season 7, these segments explored the adventures of Mia Smoak, William Clayton and Connor Hawke in the year 2040.
To be specific, Joseph David-Jones has been promoted to series regular, thereby assuring we’ll see much more of Connor when the saga resumes. Hey, if the flash forwards weren’t making a comeback, then why else would we be reporting this?
Given this development, one would also expect for his co-star, Katherine McNamara, to also be granted a promotion. With the possibility of a Blackstar spinoff looming, it’d seem odd to lock down only one of these young actors without guaranteeing the other is sticking around.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m hoping this leads to Connor Hawke being definitively established as the Green Arrow of the future. Longtime Arrowverse fans should recall David-Jones’ original appearance during Legends of Tomorrow‘s “Star City 2046,” though the events depicted in that episode are no longer considered canonical. Still, it’d be a waste to incorporate Connor and not have him take up the mantle in the end.
Arrow returns with new episodes on Tuesday nights this fall on The CW.